Louise Linton mocked for 'Disney villain' outfit while posing with a sheet of money

On Wednesday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and U.S. Treasurer Jovita Carranza visited the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to check out the production of new $1 bills that bear their signatures. To mark the momentous occasion, Mnuchin posed for a photo with his wife, Louise Linton, as they held a sheet of money together straight off the printing press.

Linton, an actress (who’s also known for her controversial memoir), wore a Peter Pan-collared black wool top tucked into a high-waisted leather skirt. She accessorized with a black leather belt that cinched her waist and matching elbow-length gloves.

Steven Mnuchin and Louise Linton. (Photo: AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

The 36-year-old Scot opted not to take off her gloves for the photo op with Mnuchin — whom she married in June in Washington, D.C. — clutching the corner of the paper and glaring at the camera with an experienced model face.

Associated Press photographer Jacquelyn Martin, who captured the image, knew the minute she took it that it was going to be a great photo, but, she noted, “I didn’t know it would turn into quite such an internet phenomenon.”

“Based on their history and previous images that have been put out there — I had a feeling that this would take off. There is something about this couple that people are just fascinated by. There was added visual interest in the dynamic of the couple, and her outfit,” Martin told the AP.

We don’t orchestrate these things — I just show up and photograph what happens in front of me. You really have to be ready for anything in Washington.

The moment was quickly mocked on social media, with some comparing the pair to James Bond villains. Others pointed out the similarity between Linton’s look and Kylo Ren’s from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

God bless Louise Linton, who even after one of the worst PR disasters of the year is unable to stop dressing like a Disney villain. pic.twitter.com/dcmtDNGQyS

In August, Linton also became a trending internet topic when she posted an Instagram of her travel outfit after flying with Mnuchin to Kentucky on a business trip. She tagged all the brands she was wearing — including Tom Ford, Valentino, and Hermès (Birkin bags retail for $12,000 to $200,000, depending on the style) — and even engaged with a commenter who called her #deplorable.

“I want to say I concede completely to the comments of my critics,” Linton said in an interview for Washington Life magazine’s Balls & Galas issue. “My post itself and the following response were indefensible. … It’s clear that I was the one who was truly out of touch and my response was reactionary and condescending.”